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Harbor Business Review HBR: Exploring concepts in business and management, fostering improvement for individuals, organizations, and economies.

Selling on Amazon allows brands to reach millions of consumers — but at what cost? 💸Smaller margins, more competition, t...
12/12/2023

Selling on Amazon allows brands to reach millions of consumers — but at what cost? 💸

Smaller margins, more competition, the risk of commoditization, and less knowledge about customers, as it turns out.

But for many companies, the expanded reach can be worth the losses. In general, companies will have access to many more customers by selling on Amazon. (Remember, most product searches in the United States, at least, start on Amazon).

Companies that choose to sell on the platform will need to make smart decisions about assortment offerings, page design, and fulfillment options so that they can take advantage of Amazon’s scale while protecting the long-term value of their brands.

Research and commentary dating back to the 1910s shows that taking vacations — as in, completely disconnecting from work...
11/12/2023

Research and commentary dating back to the 1910s shows that taking vacations — as in, completely disconnecting from work — is critical to lowering burnout, increasing energy and engagement, and improving overall health and well-being, which in turn will lead to more consistent productivity.

So, how do you detach from work during your vacation to achieve all these benefits? Here’s how to do so — while staying professional.

⛱️ Provide a plan. Prepare a document, especially if you’re taking a long vacation. Who is the emergency contact for which issues? Who will make sure all deliverables will be completed? Ask your manager if they need anything outside of what you prepared.

🌊 Calendar your time off. Send an “all-day” invitation to your manager, team members, and cross-functional stakeholders that says, “[Your name] OoO – unavailable.” This will allow them to prepare for you being unreachable and communicate any needs prior to your departure.

🩴 Send pre-notices for standing meetings. Don’t just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know you won’t be there and ask if they need anything from you before you depart.

🐟 Maximize your out-of-office notification. State that you’ll have no access to email and will not be reachable until you return on [X] date. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other important but non-urgent inquiries.

👋 Send a final reminder. The week before your vacation, send an email to your manager, team members, and cross-functional stakeholders letting them know when you’ll be on vacation and the date you’ll return. Remind them that you’ll be unavailable and not be responding to emails or calls.

Reading a business book is an exercise in efficiency, not literary aesthetics. You’re trying to maximize the return on t...
11/12/2023

Reading a business book is an exercise in efficiency, not literary aesthetics. You’re trying to maximize the return on time invested.

Here’s an eight-step way to do that.

📚 Begin with purpose. Define your use case. Do you want to inform a decision, analyze a situation, or develop a skill?

📚 Read the introduction. It should summarize the topic, frame the problem, and explain the central idea.

📚 Beware of bulk validity. Watch out for long books that attempt to establish validity with bulk. If the author can’t get to the point, they don’t know the point.

📚 Challenge the thesis. Even if you open a book with confidence because you trust the author, the data, the argument, or the reviews, commit yourself to being the loyal opposition. Argue with the author.

📚 Decide whether to toss it. If the introduction doesn’t move you with relevant insight, you’re done.

📚 Harvest the book. List out both key insights and points of criticism. Then share the captured insights with colleagues and team members.

📚 Test use cases. Until you apply it, a concept remains an untested hypothesis.

📚 Reject quantity. Your return-on-time-invested is measured by positive behavioral change and the application of tools to produce better outcomes, not the number of books you’ve read.

You’ve updated your resume, written your cover letter, and done the interview. Now it’s time to write a thank you note t...
11/12/2023

You’ve updated your resume, written your cover letter, and done the interview. Now it’s time to write a thank you note to seal the deal.

But what exactly should you write? How much detail should you include? When should you send it? And why is it important to do in the first place?

A growing body of evidence suggests that reduced-hour work schedules for the same level of pay are not only feasible whe...
10/12/2023

A growing body of evidence suggests that reduced-hour work schedules for the same level of pay are not only feasible when it comes to maintaining outcomes, but also potentially advantageous when it comes to employee wellbeing and retention.

But these initiatives only work if companies substantially redesign work to reduce hours — while maintaining business outcomes. This means streamlining operations, removing administrative burdens, and prioritizing high-impact work. Another major challenge is a managerial one: ensuring employees accept that you’re asking them to produce the same amount in fewer hours.

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